In their indifferent if not phony search for a credible black candidate for any national office, the Dems pin their hopes on Obama. They'd rather have had Powell, but he would have embarrassed the pacifist Mommy party with his strong defense positions. Now, if only Obama had served in the military and disavowed it or better yet claimed to have seen or participated in atrocities . . . Oh wait! Kerry already did that . . . .

Oh, Obama!

If Senator Hillary Clinton should stumble as a presidential candidate for any reason or even decline to run, Democrats are already indicating who would be close to the top of their list: freshman Illinois Senator Barack Obama. Although Mr. Obama, a 44-year-old former state legislator, has only held national office for a year, he is drawing rave reviews in party circles.

"I'm hearing he is a rock star," says Chuck Todd, editor of the political tip sheet Hotline. "He's the only minority politician who can go to any one of the 50 states and raise gobs of money and excite voters at the same time."

Indeed, Senator Dick Durbin, Mr. Obama's colleague from Illinois, went out of his way on Sunday to say he would endorse his friend if he ran. "I think he really has the capacity to bring a lot of red and blue states together for a change so that we start seeing common goals in this country," he told reporters. "Young people are in particular inspired by his message, and people like Barack don't come along very often."

As Democrats see it, an Obama candidacy would attract many white voters who would want to show racial good will by voting for a minority candidate, while at the same time dramatically boost turnout among black voters in a general election. "It's a no-brainer," one party official told me. "If we don't put him on the ticket, the Republicans are likely to go with Condi Rice as their vice presidential nominee in 2008. We have to consider Obama for one of the two spots on our ticket next time."

Calling an opposing party of long merit and accomplishment in war and peace a "Pacifist Mommy Party" is an insult that calls for an aoplogy. The remark shows clearly how far off track the right wing blunderbuss has veered.

Not to mention the abysmal misuse the never-having-served Bush bunch made of Powell's service while they had him

Werner wrote:Calling an opposing party of long merit and accomplishment in war and peace a "Pacifist Mommy Party" is an insult that calls for an aoplogy. The remark shows clearly how far off track the right wing blunderbuss has veered.

Not to mention the abysmal misuse the never-having-served Bush bunch made of Powell's service while they had him

*****

This is Corlyss at her silliest. Our national cemeteries, here and abroad, have many thousands of comitted Democrats, killed in action, who lie side by side with those who supported the other party.

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."

Well, among other things, there is the nonsense that you keep posting at your discretion. If anything can make one grateful for the likes of Friedman, Krugman, Dowd (did you see her column on the CBS crew's fate yesterday?) and Rich, that's it.

And the historic achievements of our past leaders (some were Republicans) are never out of date.